The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-05-25
Our Duties to Others.

Not long since my eye fell Oh a re-
mark which would we'll bear wider
application than the one in which it
was used; to the effect, that one Of the
great needs Of the present was that
people should think less of their rights
and more of their duties.
DO we often realize how little Christ
and his disciples taught of our rights
ana how much of our duties? Through
Gospel and Epistle runs the thread of
eXhOrtation, not "eXact this" but "do
this" Not that each one has not in
dividual rights, which nothing but su-
perior weakness or criminal negll-
gence should cause us to relinqulsh,
and which the well-being of society,
both as mass and as separate unities,
demands should be recognized. But
selfish human nature may generally
be trusted to remember Its rights, if
sometimes it forgets its duties.
Our duties to others. Beginning in
the narrowness of the home, how like
increasing wave circles they stretch
out into the wide distances of the great
world. and touch grave questions, as of
the relations of capital and labor, and
broad ones, as of the relations of na-
ton to nation. For the humanities
are not like an aggregate of separate
atoms, each separate, but rather as the
pieces of delicate machine whose
wheels continually interplay, where
none can be injured without affecting
all, and the failure of one to act its
part may destroy the harmony of the
whole.
And first as the central ring, our
duty to those of our own household, to
the parent and child, brother and sis
ter, husband and wife. how diverse
and manifold they are. T." the one
Difference, tloughttulness, solieitude
that the path may be slnoothed for the
feet grown slow and weary in he heat
and burden of the day; 10 another
care, protection, cherishing; to anoth-
er interest, sympathy, helpfulness; to
all continual service, the daily con-
slant ministries to weakness and
strength, wealth and sickness, joy and
sorrow, enough, it would seem, to fill
to the utmost hands and heart and
time.
But this circle of kindred is only the
inmost one, beyond which lies the
stranger within your gates, from the
servant in garden or kitchen to be
taught and borne with, and haply by
wise word and gentler example stimu-
lated to the something better than
she has known" TO the chance So
iourner and guest in the parlor, to be
checred, refreshed, and sent on his or
her way strengthened and helped by
our contact.
And still outward is the stranger
without our gate, the sick nelghoor,
the poor neighbor, the bereaved neigh
bor, the stranger neighbor land using
the word not in its narrow meaning OF
"my street." "our neighborhood," but
in the deeper, fuller significance OF the
Masters teaching.] TO each of these
we owe, as far as opportunity will per,
NIT, personal duty; the duty or
kindly attention, and gentle sympa--
thy, and wise assistance, and cordial
greeting; duty which if each one of
us were but faithful to, how many OF
life's dark hours would be frightened,
and lonely ones gladdened, and hearts
that are wounded, fainting, and ready
to perish, soothed and strengthened as
with oil and wine.
Still beyond these are the Church,
with its peace, its piety, its usefulness
to be promoted, its work advanced, its
holy character to be maintained: And
the great world, with all its calls for
missionary and beneficent and benev1,,
olent work. the great world, with all
its suffering. its wrong, its weakness,
its sin, to whom we owe the duty of
aid where aid is possible, of justice
where it will avail, and always of
sympathy and that charity which is
broader than mere alms-giving as the
ocean than the river it receives.
And above all, and to all whether
near or remote, as the sweet fountain
from which all duty springs and the
centre to which it engathers the duty
of love, highest and holiest of all.
Love for his sake, who made his life a
service for us; and who taught
through the lips of his beloved disci-
pies that our love should be not "in
word neither in tongue; but in deed
and in truth.n